1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a converter device, such as a DC-DC converter.
2. Description of the Related Art
For example, a DC-DC converter, which is one type of converter, converts an input DC voltage/current into an output DC voltage/current in accordance with specification conditions. The circuit of the DC-DC converter is constructed in such a way that, as shown in, for example, FIG. 10(b), electronic parts 46 and circuit patterns (not shown) are formed on a circuit board 45. The end portion of the circuit board 45 has a plurality of terminal members 48 formed thereon. The circuit board 45, a DC-DC converter circuit 47 formed on the circuit board 45, and the terminal members 48 constitute DC-DC converter parts 49. The DC-DC converter parts 49 are mounted on a motherboard 50 to be mated therewith, and the DC-DC converter circuit 47 is electrically connected to a circuit formed on the motherboard 50 via the terminal members 48.
There are cases in which a plurality of DC-DC converter parts 49 such as those described above are used to deal with a request for the output voltage/current according to the specification conditions. In this case, for example, as shown in FIG. 10(a), the plurality of DC-DC converter parts 49 are disposed side-by-side on the motherboard 50 with a spacing D therebetween, and these plurality of DC-DC converter parts 49 are connected in parallel by conduction patterns 51 formed on the motherboard 50 according to the specifications.
However, since the conduction pattern 51 for connecting the plurality of DC-DC converter parts 49 in parallel extending on the motherboard 50 are long, there is a problem in that the conduction loss in the conduction pattern 51 is large. Also, there is the inconvenience of having to take the trouble to form the conduction pattern 51 on the motherboard 50.
Furthermore, as described above, since the plurality of DC-DC converter parts 49 are disposed beside each other with the spacing D therebetween, there is a demand for a large area for the disposition of DC-DC converter parts, corresponding to the number of DC-DC converter parts 49 which are positioned, making it difficult to reduce the size of the motherboard 50.
In addition, since a plurality of DC-DC converter parts 49 cannot be disposed side-by-side or mounted at the same time on the motherboard 50, when a plurality of DC-DC converter parts 49 are disposed side-by-side, as shown in FIG. 10(a), the plurality of DC-DC converter parts 49 must be mounted individually on the motherboard 50, which presents a problem in that the step of mounting the plurality of DC-DC converter parts 49 on the motherboard 50 takes time.
The present invention has been made to solve the above-described problems. An object of the present invention is to provide a converter device which is capable of minimizing conduction loss in connection means for connecting a plurality of converter circuits when the plurality of converter circuits (converter sections) is connected and used and, moreover, which is capable of supplying an output voltage/current appropriate to the specification conditions without increasing the occupied area on the motherboard on which the converter device is mounted.
To achieve the above-mentioned object, the present invention has the construction described below for solving the above-described problems.
In a first aspect, the present invention provides a converter device comprising: a converter section for converting an input voltage/current into a voltage/current appropriate to specification conditions and outputting the voltage/current; a plurality of circuit boards on which a power input terminal connection pattern and a power output terminal connection pattern, which are electrically connected to the converter section, are provided; and a plurality of mating members for holding and fixing these circuit boards in a laminated manner with a spacing therebetween, wherein the converter section of each of the circuit boards is formed such that the power input terminal connection patterns of each of the circuit boards are electrically connected to each other by the mating members which are common, the power output terminal connection patterns of each of the circuit boards are electrically connected to each other by the mating members which are common, and these are connected in parallel.
The invention in accordance with a second aspect comprises the construction of the first aspect of the present invention. Each converter section has a coil section, and the coil section is formed as a circuit-board-integrated-type coil section having a core member attached to a coil pattern formed on the circuit board.
The invention in accordance with a third aspect comprises the construction of the first or second aspect of the present invention. A terminal member for power output, which is a mating member for electrically connecting between power output terminal connection patterns of each circuit board, is formed such that the output current of each converter section merges and the amount of supplied current is increased, and this terminal member for power output is formed such that a current conduction path on a downstream side is made wider than a current conduction path on an upstream side so as to increase the cross-sectional area thereof.
The invention in accordance with a fourth aspect comprises the construction of the first, second, or third aspects of the present invention. Each conduction pattern for power output on a high potential side and on a low potential side of the converter section mounted on each circuit board is formed on both the obverse and reverse surfaces of each circuit board, and a plurality of power output terminal connection patterns is provided via a spacing with the end portions of each of the conduction patterns on a high potential side and on a low potential side, so that both parallel connection and serial connection of the plurality of converter sections can be dealt with by the combination of the conduction connection between the end portions of each of the conduction patterns for power output and the power output terminal connection patterns.
The invention in accordance with a fifth aspect comprises the construction of the first, second, third, or fourth aspects of the present invention. The mating member is formed such that a conduction plate member is cut and raised, a plurality of alligator clips is formed at intervals of a predetermined spacing, and each circuit board is sandwiched and fixed by each of the clips.
The invention in accordance with a sixth aspect comprises the construction of the fifth aspect of the present invention. Each alligator clip comprises a support section for supporting the circuit board such so as to be brought into abutment with one of the obverse surface and the reverse surface of the circuit board; and a pressing section for applying a pressing force to the other surface of the circuit board by using resilience, the circuit-board-abutment surfaces of the support section of each of the clips are made substantially parallel to each other, and each of the circuit boards is laminated and fixed substantially parallel to each other.
The invention in accordance with a seventh aspect comprises the construction of the fifth aspect of the present invention. A mating member for electrically connecting between the power output terminal connection patterns of each circuit board is formed so that the output current of each converter section merges and the amount of supplied current is increased, and a conduction plate member which constitutes the mating member is formed such that a current conduction path on a downstream side of the output current is made wider than on an upstream side so as to increase the cross-sectional area thereof.
In the invention having the above-described construction, each circuit board on which a converter section is formed is held by a mating member, and is laminated and fixed with a spacing therebetween. Consequently, it is possible to mount a plurality of converter sections on a motherboard without increasing the occupied area of, for example, a motherboard on which the converter device is mounted. Also, since a plurality of circuit boards is laminated and integrated, by performing a mounting operation only once, a plurality of circuit boards can be mounted at the same time on the motherboard, and less time is required for the step of mounting a converter device.
In addition, in the present invention, for the converter sections of each circuit board, the power input terminal connection patterns of each of the circuit boards are electrically connected to each other by a common mating member, and the power output terminal connection patterns of each of the circuit boards are electrically connected to each other by a common mating member, and these are connected in parallel. Consequently, there is no need to form, on a motherboard to be mated therewith, a conduction pattern for connecting a plurality of converter sections in parallel, as in the conventional way. Also, since the connection path for connecting each converter section in parallel can be shortened considerably more than a case in which a plurality of converter sections is provided side-by-side, it is easy to minimize conduction losses.
The above and further objects, aspects and novel features of the invention will become more fully apparent from the following detailed description when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings.